The Government has announced 60 new outcomes targets for the NHS, with GP practices being measured on access and patient experience.
The Outcomes Framework proposes 60 new benchmarks, under the general headings of mortality statistics, the experience of patients with long-term conditions, rehabilitation, patient experience and safety.
The Patient Experience standards include patients' views on GP services, including out-of-hours, and 'ease of access' to general practice.
Launching the new NHS Outcomes Framework, health secretary Andrew Lansley denied that the framework would lead to the creation of hundreds of new indicators and he also revealed that there are plans to abolish 75 of the 305 central data returns in the NHS.
Mr Lansley said: ‘Much of what is in the Outcomes Framework is based on data that is already collected,' he said.
The health secretary also said the NHS GP patient survey would be 'reshaped' to provide extra details of the patient experience.
Outcomes targets for GPs
- Patient experience of GP services; GP out-of-hours services; NHS dental services; hospital care (overarching indicators).
- Ease of access to GP services and NHS dental services.
